Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-08-18
QUESTION OF IRRIGATION.
MEETING OF THE IMPROVEMENT
COMMITTEE LAST EVENING.
Report of Assistant State Engineer
c. f. Grunsky upon the Ques-
ton of Irrigation.

Report of Assistant State Engineer
c. f. Grunsky upon the Ques-
ton of Irrigation.
A special meeting Of the Executive
Committee of the Sacramento City and
| County Improvement Association was held
last evening. The first subject considered
was that of raising the S25, 600 special fund
for aiding the work of the Association.
There was full attendance of members
present, and an animated consideration OF
the subject was had. There was an earnest
expression for forward movement in the
| matter and the following resolution, Of
fered by Frank Miller, was adopted:
Resolred. That this committee consider with
favor the efforts being made by the members OF
the committee and other enterprising citizens to
raise the of SIS 600 for the purpose of assist
ing this Association in its objects, and urgently
request liberal subscriptions 10 that fund.
After further discussion as to the best
means of raising the balance of the amount,
and as to the beneficial uses TO which it can
be applied in pushing forward the good
work of improvement and inducing the
incoming OF desirable settlers, a motion to
appoint FIVE additional members from the
Executive Committee to cooperate in OBJ
tanning subscriptions, was adopted. The
entire committee of subscribers and Others,
| to raise the fund, is now as follows: Vein
stock e. Lubin, W. P. Coleman, E. R.
Hamilton, Huntington, Hopkins d Co.,
mons, E. X. Alsip, California State Bank,
VS.. McClatchy, Ad. c.. Hinkson, j. NJ
Avery, w. II. Beatty, L. L. Lewis.
A meeting of this special fund committee
will be held at the Association rooms this
evening at O'clock, TO arrange for raising
the desired amount. II was stated last
evening that the subscriptions were not
absolute donations of the amounts pledged,
but the full amount was to be used as
| revolving fund Tor Association purposes
and then returned to the subscribers This
makes it amount simply to loan without
interest, and with some possible diminu-
ton, but with the intention that after hav-
ing been used for improvement purposes
so long as needed, 70 advancement upon
lands materials for street improvement,
etc, when ready cash is required to carry
out projects OF the Association, then to be
paid back to the subscribers.
A lengthy communication on the ques-
ton of water supply for Sacramento was re-
ceived from John Eitel, and was referred to
the Committee on Waterworks.
THE IRRIGATION MOVEMENT.
The next matter taken up was report
from the Irrigation Committee. G.. w.
Hancock submitted report of prelimin-
airy examination made by Assistant State
Engineer G.. L. Grunsky, which he said
would be found full of interest upon the
subject and comprehensive. The Commit
tee on Irrigation had not proposed any
recommendations to accompany it, hut he
thought Mr.. Grunsky's suggestions could
place the entire subject before the Exec
utive Committee and enable 1t to act intel
ligently.
On motion the report of Mr.. Grunsky
was filed. and the meeting adjourned to
next Wednesday evening, when an entire
session will be devoted to its consideration,
and the discussion of irrigation matters
The report in full is as follows 1t was ad-
dressed by the engineer to the
Irrigation Committee of the Sacramento
Improvement Association.
GENTLEMEN: Sacramento county is one of the
most favored OF those centrally located in Cali
tornia's great valley. Nearly the entire county
is located on the smooth surfaced plain which
extends westward from the base Of the Sierra
Nevada to the-trough the valley, sloping from
an elevation of about 40 feet at the base of
the 1OOtnlllS 10 ADOuC ten 1eet near It's western
limit. This plain is crossed from east to west
by the American aud Costumes rivers, and at
the southern limit OF the county by Dry creek.
Of this land about 255, 900 acres can, with iTri-
CATION facilities, for variety, quality and guam
tity of its products, be made to outrank some of
the best sections of this State. Should it need
an argument to demonstrate this fact then 1t
will only be necessary to refer TO those localities
where the meIe introduction aud use of water
has converted grazing lands and deserts into
garden spots, such are Fresno, Los Angeles,
Riverside and hundreds of Others General
prosperity has invariably followed the intro
duction of water in large canals.
Of the Sacramento county lands, only small
po- ton lies along the banks of the Sacramento
river and in the swamp and overfowed district
where claim might be made that surplus of
water is already available and that lands need
drainage rather than irrigation. Yet, even
throughout large part OF the district where
lands have been protected from the danger of
annual overflow, the character OF the soil is
such that, without these overilows il dries out
to a considerable depth. 1t could. vi h irriga-
ton, be made to produce prolific crops OF alfalfa
vegetables, fruits grapes, berries, etc, where
now grain-raising pays but small profit.
But few years have passed siace il has been
established as an admitted fact that the red
land of the plains between Sacramento and
Gait is fertile. Long years of experience were re-
quired to demonstrate to the sleptca od-timer
that the lands of the valley. back from the
rivers, were good for aught save a cattle range
Newcomers, who judged of these lands from a
different standpoint, realized the possibilities of
the future. and the efforts to bring the plains
under cultivation have not been in vain. Field
after field has been sown to cereals, and little
by little the degree of cultivation has been in
tensitied, and the good work still goes on. Even
in the hardpan district of Florin, where rela-
lively shallow soils are found, the S ep toward
a higher state of cultivation has-thanks to the
enterprisiDg spirit of the people-been a bold
one, and has brought to that section pros
Perity which, otherwise. could not have been
attained.
But it is not the fertility of the soil alone
which made n
cultivation possible. The annual fall of rain in
| this county is only 20 incheS on an average per
| year aud none ordinarily falls after the lst of
May. The heavy soils which predominant here
and below which the water table is at too great
a depth to benefit vegetation. lose their moist
ure rapidly, even when held 10 as great an ex
| tent as possible by thorough cultivation and
pulVeriZation of the surface. Within q month
| or six weeks after the last heavy rain of the
season, the soils are practically dry, vegetation
begins even before this time to suffer from the
| lack of moisture and its growing season is past
| Even trees and vines mature their foliage be-
fore their fruit has ripened, and the result is a
| less desirable product than would have been OBJ
tanned if nsture had provided more moisture for
| the soil during May and June
Realizing this fact many have found it eXpe-
dent and profitable to provide moisture by aTti-
fetal means to large area of the lands of this
county, located for the most part at great dis
| tanee from the Western Division of the Central
Pacific Railroad, and embracing part of the
region whose soil is least adapted for profitable
cultivation.
To fully demonstrate the confidence which
| the present irrigators of Sacramento county
have in the benefits of irrigation, present the
| following facts:
| There are at and near FlOrin about 400 wind
mills constructed al total cost of $40 600 i'm
| Guiding necessary wells, pumps, etc. These
| cover about 1900 acres, mostly cultivated in
vineyard, orchard, berries, vegetables, alfalfa,
etc. The first cost of providing this irrigation
| has been about so per acre, and the annual
| cost of repairs and of applying water to the
| land is about g 80 per acre per season. These
| mills are generally used during the four months
| of May, June, July and August, whenever sufi-
| Gent wind prevails to supply motive power.
| Our frequent Gains make this source of water
supply more or less unreliable for the irrigator.
| To become independent Of wind power and to
| supply water in larger volume for the more
| rapid and more economical wetting of the soils,
some few of the farmers of this county have
| provided for themselves steam pumps with
which to raise ground water TO the surface.
| Irrigation with pumped water is now in pro-
! gresS even in the limits of this city, in vege-
table gardens just east of our city in nurseries;
and near Brighton on large tract of vegetables.
| At Florin on the James kutter place, where
| three short tunnels open from as many sides OF
a 20-foot square. 20 feet deep pit, water ordina-
| rily rises to within 10 feet of the surface and
fills the tunnels, and to The depth of tenfeet the
| main pit The water is supplied to the pit from
| eleven wells which have been sunk about 50
feet deem each different noiu.e of the bOttOrn